“I said to Ananda at Kapilavastu: 'Do not be sad, do not cry and whine’. Ananda said: 'Oh, Tathagata World Honored One! Now, all my relatives are dead. How can I not whine? The Tathagata was born in this castle-town together with me, and we are all belonging to the Shakya Clan. How is it that only the Tathagata is not sad, nor worried, but shows a shiny visage?’
I then said, 'Oh, Ananda! You think that Kapilavastu actually exists, whereas I see that everything is empty, silent and that there is nothing that exists. You see all the Shakyas as your relatives. But I see absolutely nothing in them, because I practice the All-Void. That is why you feel sadness and pain, and I seem even brighter. As all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas practice the Samadhi of the All-Void, they do not show any sadness or worry’."
Read more in Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 32, on the Bodhisattva Highly-Virtuous King 6.
“Oh, good man! There are three kinds of desire, namely: 1) evil desire, 2) great desire, and 3) desire for the sake of desire. We say ‘evil desire’. A Monk may gain greed in his mind, become the leader of a great mass [of people], make all the priests follow him, lead all four classes of Buddhist Sangha to make offerings to him, respect, praise and encourage him, make him preach to all the other first, before the four classes of the Sangha; make everyone believe in his words, make kings, ministers and rich people give him respect, so that they give him plenty of clothes, food, drinks, bedding, medicine and the best types of accommodations. These are desires for the temporal life of birth and death. These are the 'evil desires’.
What is 'great desire'? For example, there is a Monk who gains greed in your mind, so that he makes himself known among the four classes of the Buddhist Sangha as one who has attained the stage from the first until the tenth (abode), the unsurpassed Bodhi, the Arhatship, or such others stages as Srotapanna, the four dhyanas, or the Fourfold Unhindered Wisdom - all this merely for the sake of profits. This is ‘great desire’.
A Monk may desire to be born as a Brahma, as Marapapiyas, as an Isvara, a Chakravartin, a Kshatriya, or a Brahmin, so that he can have unrestrictedness. As this is only for profit, this can well be called ‘desire for the sake of desire'.
If a person is not despoiled by these three (types of) evil desires, such a person is someone with little desire to possess. By desire is meant the 25 cravings. If a person does not have these 25 cravings, such a person is called one who has little desire to possess. When a person does not seek to possess what it may expect to have in the days to come, we call this seek little to possess. The person gains, but does not cling. This is feeling satisfied. Not seeking to be respected is seeking little to possess. A person may obtain things, but if it does not seek to accumulate them, this is feeling satisfied.”
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.
The Bodhisattva Lion's Roar said: "Oh, World Honored One! What difference is there between desiring little, and feeling satisfied?"
“Oh, good man! Desiring little is not seeking and not taking (for oneself); feeling satisfied is not feeling regret when one gains little. Desiring little is having little; feeling satisfied means that the mind does not care about the things offered.”
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.
“Oh, good man! There is a grass called 'ninniku' in the Himalayas. If a cow eats it, that cow will bring forth sarpirmanda. There is a different type of grass that, when eaten, does not bring forth sarpirmanda. Although no sarpirmanda comes forth [in such circumstances], we can not say that there is no 'ninniku' in the Himalayas. It's the same with the Buddha Nature.
The Himalayas are the Tathagata, the 'ninniku' is the Great Nirvana, the foreign grass is the 12 types of sutras. If beings give ear to, respect and praise the Mahaparinirvana, they will see the Buddha Nature. Although not found in 12 types of sutras, we can not say that there is no Buddha Nature.”
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.
“Oh, good man! All beings have, equally, the twelve links of interdependence. These are the cases of the interior and exterior. What are the twelve?
1. The defilement from the past is called ignorance ['avidya'].
2. The karma from the past is called mental formation ['samskara', ie, mental volitions and impulses].
3. In this present life, first, we gain life in the womb. This is consciousness ['vijnana'].
4. After entering the womb, the five parts [i.e., the five limbs or five parts of the human body, composed of two hands (arms), two feet (legs), and head (column)], and the four roots [i.e., the four sense organs of the eye, ear, nose, and mouth] are not yet fully formed. This state is called mind-and-body ['nama-rupa "].
5. When one has the four roots, and when one is not yet in the stage of touch ['sparsa'], this stage is called the six spheres ['sadayatana'].
6. When no feeling of suffering or joy has yet arisen, this stage is called 'touch'.
7. When one clings to a single love, this stage is called feeling ['vedana'].
8. When one learns and befriends the five desires, this is craving ['trshna'].
9. When one looks inside and out, and has affection, this is clinging ['upadana'].
10. When one raises actions inside and out, in the three categories of body, mouth and mind, this is existence ['bhava'].
11. The consciousness that one has in life is the birth [of someone] in future days [i.e., one's worldly consciousness provides the basis for one's future rebirth], and
12. The body-and-mind, the six spheres, touch, and feeling are the old age, illness, and death of the future.
These are the twelve links of interdependence.
Oh, good man! Although there are these twelve links of interdependent arising, there are cases where things do not so happen. When one dies at the kalala stage, (fetal stage), there can not be the twelve. There can be the twelve when one gets into the stages (of life) beginning with birth and ending with old age and death."
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.
Then, Bodhisattva Lion's Roar said: "Oh, World Honored One! If it is the case that all beings possess the Buddha Nature, like any vajra-guardsman [i.e., a person who holds in his hands a diamond, and thus protects the Buddhist teaching], why is it that all beings can not see it?"
The Buddha said: "Oh, good man! For example, the 'matter' ['rupa’] has representational qualities as (color) blue, yellow, red, and white; (size) as long or short; but a blind person can not see them as such. Although not seen, we can not say that there are no such qualities as blue, yellow, red, white, long or short. Why not? Although a blind person can not see them, someone who has eyes can see them. It's the same with the Buddha Nature. Although all beings can not see it, the Bodhisattva of the ten abodes can see it somewhat; the Tathagata sees it thoroughly. The Buddha Nature seen by the Bodhisattva of the ten abodes is like colors seen at night. What the Tathagata sees is like colors seen in the daytime.”
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.
